Treasures of Los Angeles

The Annenberg Gallery displays some of the extraordinary materials collected by the Los Angeles Public Library since its founding in 1872. The inaugural exhibit, "Treasures of Los Angeles," features items from the Hollywood collection, including vintage film posters, publicity photographs ("stills"), postcards and other promotional items such as photo advertisements ("lobby cards") from Mexican films of the 1950s and 1960s. The Hollywood collection is from the Frances Howard Goldwyn — Hollywood Regional Branch Library and it is our featured collection.

Featured Collection: Hollywood

After fire destroyed the Hollywood Regional Branch in 1982, an outpouring
of generosity from local residents and the film and television
industry helped create the Hollywood Special Collection at the new Frances
Howard Goldwyn Hollywood Regional Branch. The materials in the exhibit
represent the history of an industry that has come to define a community.
Posters,
movie stills, postcards, and other materials provide a glimpse
of a world where stars and glamour were commonplace.

Special Collections

While the research and popular interest materials of the library are
well known, there hidden "treasures" of the library provide
a fascinating look at the history of Los Angeles. From the photos that
document our diverse heritage, to the colorful menus and theatre programs
of yesteryear, the library has collected items of popular culture,
detailed maps of the city's expansion, and mementos of our past.

There are over 1,700 autographs in this collection, which was started
by former City Librarian Charles Lummis. Many are original signatures
on special stationery Lummis designed and used to solicit autographs
from important personages of the era. Several artists included small
drawings while others included poetry, comments on Los Angeles, or
letters that have social or historic interest.

Over 200 original illustrations for children’s books, many by award-winning
illustrators, have been gathered over the years as a tribute to Gladys
English, the former Coordinator of Children’s Services for the
Los Angeles Public Library. Most of the works were completed before 1960.

These items are from the special collection of the Frances Howard Goldwyn
Hollywood Regional Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library. This branch
has an incredible collection of Hollywood history. Since for many people
Los Angeles is Hollywood, this is a vital part of our City’s
history.

The Map Collection at the Central Library is one of the largest of any
American public library, with 80,000 maps, 2,000 atlases, 1000 gazetteers
and over 1000 books supporting the study of maps and mapping.

The Library has a collection of several thousand menus arranged by date
and by restaurant. Although the focus is on California restaurants,
menus from around the world have been donated by travelers interested
in the collection.

The Los Angeles photo archives contain over 2.5 million photographs.
More than 40,000 of these are available digitally on our Web site.
These photos provide a fascinating look at local history—the
growth of the City and the diversity of its residents.

The Art, Music, and Recreation Department has an extensive music collection,
which includes over 38,000 pieces of sheet music. The collection includes
songs published since the early 1900’s, many with attractively
illustrated period covers.

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Why support the Library?

The Los Angeles Public Library serves the largest most diverse population of any library in the United States.

Through its Central Library and 72 branches, the Los Angeles Public Library provides free and easy access to information, ideas, books and technology that enrich, educate and empower every individual in our city's diverse communities.

With more people than ever before using the library—a record 17 million last year alone—your support helps the Library provide people with the resources they need to succeed and thrive.

How to support the Library

You can support the Los Angeles Public Library in several ways:

Join a “Friends” group. There is a “Friends of the Library” group for most branch libraries and departments of the Central Library. Friends groups raise money for improvements to their library through memberships, used book sales and other activities. For more information click here or talk to your local librarian.

Join the Library Foundation of Los Angeles. The Library Foundation is a non-profit organization that raises funds for Library enhancement programs such as adult and early literacy, children and teen reading clubs, technology, and cultural programs. Foundation members receive a variety of benefits with their membership. For more information, see http://www.lfla.org.

Make a donation by check to the Los Angeles Public Library and send it to:Support the Library, 630 W. Fifth St., Los Angeles CA 90071 or call (213) 228-7555.